Lift the Darkness
by movieholic
Summary: “She’s not…” he felt sick to his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. Bobby motioned at the child with his free hand, stumbling when his legs hit the table behind him. “She’s not yours…” his tone was unsure, but it held a question. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

"Good work, Detectives," praised Danny Ross, arms folded across his chest as he watched the partners drag themselves out of the interrogation room.

They paused before him, watching in silence as the flailing woman attempted to escape from the two hulking officers flanking her. Eames sighed and shook her head, before turning to her quiet partner, Goren.

"Are you okay? That sounded like it hurt." She looked up at him, wincing at the bruise forming underneath his left eye.

"I'm fine," he murmured, scratching casually at the scruffy hair on his chin. Raising both eyebrows, he turned towards his captain expectantly.

Rolling his green eyes dramatically, Ross looked at his watch and sighed. "All right, you two did well. The paperwork can wait till tomorrow. Take the day," he waved a hand over his shoulder as he began walking towards his office.

"Great…what now?" Eames looked over at Goren, waiting for him to respond. When he didn't, she faltered. "Are you okay?"

Blinking rapidly, as though coming out of a dreamlike state, he nodded. "Uh, yes. I'm, I'm fine, sorry."

Furrowing her brow, she attempted to catch his eye. "You need a ride home?"

Goren shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, "No thanks." He started down towards his desk, tossing his binder on top of the scattered papers already adorning it. Eames frowned at his retreating back. She understood that the year had been very tough on him, but she missed the younger, happier Bobby.

"I'm being selfish," she muttered, following behind the larger man.

"Did you…say something?" he asked, his voice soft and curious. Eames shook her head and closed her eyes. She looked up, nearly startled, when she felt the presence of Goren directly in front of her, invading her space.

"When you do that to criminals, I accept it, but to me? No way, buddy." She gently placed a hand on his chest and pushed herself away with a small smile.

"I was just…making sure you're all right. Are you? All right?" although he wasn't as close as he was a few seconds before, she could feel his silent intensity from where he stood.

"Yeah, sure." Grabbing her coat from the back of her chair, she held up her keys and called out, "You sure you don't need a ride?"

"Yes," he waved a hand in the air and offered her a half smile for reassurance, "I'm sure. But, thank you."

Eames nodded and began to leave the squad room. She sighed when she looked over her shoulder to see him standing by his desk forlornly, gingerly touching the corner of a piece of paper. So utterly alone, in the midst of so many people…"What a heartbreaker."

* * *

Not long after leaving the Major Case squad room, Goren found himself ambling down the sidewalk aimlessly. Head down, hands shoved into his pockets, he seemed to disappear in the crowded streets, despite his impressive height. At the ringing of his cell, he pulled it out and glanced down at the caller. _Eames. _Pocketing the phone he sighed.

Arriving at his home, having opted for a cab an hour after walking, he looked up the stairs to his door and heaved a sigh. Nearly dragging his feet, he raked a hand through his nearly silver hair before pulling up short when an excited voice called out his name. Looking up wearily, he made an inarticulate grunt of surprise when his nephew stepped away from the steps leading into his apartment.

"Bobby, where you been? I've been waiting all day, you know? And-and the whether isn't good for her…it's not, Bobby, it's not. You know?" Bobby was stunned into silence when Donny began rambling under his breath, clutching a sleeping child in an air of inexperience. His pacing jerked Bobby from his dazed stupor, and before either of them knew what was happening, Bobby had grabbed Donny and herded him up the stairs forcefully.

Slamming the front door shut, and making sure it was securely locked, Bobby began jerking curtains closed. Risking a peek from behind one to the streets outside, his rapid breath fogging the window, he whirled around red faced.

"What are- Jesus! What-I, How? Why are you-" he attempted to catch his breath as he failed to find enough words to form a coherent sentence. His arms were aching from the way he threw them about, his fingers working in a failing attempt to not make a fist and hit the young man before him.

Donny watched his uncle's erratic pacing, an amused expression clouding his haggard face. He looked down at the little girl he cradled uncomfortably in his arms, unsure as to how to hold her. Looking back up, he was slightly startled to see the undisguised anger in Bobby's smoldering dark eyes.

"You..." Bobby's movements were jerking as he pointed an accusing forefinger at Donny. "You…son of bitch," his voice was hoarse, his eyes red rimmed. "You stupid son of bitch, Donny…what the hell-what the _hell_ are you doing here?" His voice raised an octave, causing the toddler to stir with a whimper in Donny's arms.

Donny's nose, the same nose Bobby had, the same nose the sleeping child had, crinkled in his confusion. "What are you talking about Bobby? I can't find Frank; do you know where he is? I need help with Valentina…I need his help, and he's not answering his door…why isn't he answering his door, Bobby? I need his help."

Taken aback, Bobby's arms dropped to his side as he watched his nephew ramble on, his face contorting to a horrified expression. Cocking his head to the side, he felt his bottom lip quivered, and he held a fisted hand to his mouth quell it. "Donny…" he swallowed thickly and removed the hand from his mouth. Taking a tentative step forward, hands out with the palms up, he shook his head.

"Donny, Frank is-is dead." Donny began shaking his head immediately, "Donny, you gotta listen to me," he was within arms reach of the younger man now, his voice pleading and pathetic. "He's-he's dead. He's been dead-"  
"No!" he cried out, tears lining his eyes. "No! You're lying…you're lying! You're just saying that so-so he doesn't have to help me…he's here isn't he? He's hiding, he doesn't want to see me, or-or his granddaughter…he's hiding from me!" His voice was cracking as he cried out angrily. "You're lying!"

Once more stunned in a short amount of time, Bobby took a step back. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, his face scrunched up as if he were fighting off tears. "No…no, no…" he found himself moaning, pressing his hand against his mouth. "She's not…" he felt sick to his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. Bobby motioned at the child with his free hand, nearly stumbling when his legs hit the table behind him. "She's not yours…" his tone was unsure, but it held a question.

"Yeah, yeah," Donny was suddenly excited again. Holding up the little girl unsteadily for Bobby to see, he grinned. "Valentina Abrielle Carlson. That's her name, do you like her name?" He cradled the whimpering toddler, who had yet to open her eyes, and tapped her nose as he cooed unintelligibly down at her. "She's uh," he squinted his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember her age, "She's two, or something." Laughing he rolled his eyes, "I don't know, but it's close."

Bobby nearly vomited at how carefree Donny was acting. Urging his roiling stomach to settle, and licking his dry lips repeatedly, Bobby stepped forward once more. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? Instead, he opted to study the profile of his nephew. Donny still had the shaggy brown hair he had least seen him with, and a wispy beard hung off his thinner face. Dirt streaked his cheeks, and everything about him seemed to scream filthy. He wore a baggy pair of gray sweats, both the sweatshirt and pants dark with mud and other unidentifiable elements.

Unable to focus on the pacing image of his nephew any longer, he attempted to peek at Valentina in his arms. The girl's name was much too big for such a small child, and Goren shook his head in semi-awe. She took after the Goren's more than whoever mothered her, with her dark curly hair and now very wide, light brown eyes. Her skin was pale, as if she had been sheltered from the sun her entire life, but her cheeks were nearly red in their pinkness. The nose he already noted looked like his own, and the lips were also his own full, pink and pouty ones.

The ringing of his cell made him flinch. He nearly pocketed as soon as he saw her name. _Eames. _Hoping that she wasn't calling because of an emergency, he tossed the phone onto the nearest table. Minutes later, it vibrated from a text message. Unable to speak to her right now, he ignored it again.

"Son of a…" he murmured, blinking slowly as though his lashes were weighed down with lead. "What am I-" he broke off and looked up sharply. Speaking louder, he repeated, "What-what am I going to do?" When Donny looked up at his questioningly, he fought the urge once more to throttle him. "Huh?" he jabbed a finger in his face, "Why are you _here_?" he was becoming very angry, very quickly. Uncaring that he was beginning to make Valentina cry, he invaded Donny's personal space and drew himself up to his full height. "What do you want, Donny? Huh? What else could you possibly want from me?"

Before Donny could answer, Bobby released an angry snarl and banked to the right, slamming his left hand into the wall hard. Shaking his throbbing hand, and glad that he didn't release that anger on Donny while he was holding Valentina, he resumed his stance. "Do you know what I went through? Do you?" his voice was breaking and becoming hysterical. He moved his face quickly, to match Donny's frantic movements, unwillingly to break eye contact if he achieved it.

"I went through hell! For you! You-you-" cursing, he whirled around and nearly threw himself onto the couch. "I could have you arrested…you know that? I can call the police right now…and they'd throw you back in jail. Now," looking up at Donny, he cocked his head to the side. "Give me one good reason, Donny, one damn good reason why I should risk my life to help you again." His nose flared, but his voice remained steady, "I'm-I'm assuming you want help…that's what you wanted from Frank, isn't it? _Help_." The word was beginning to taste like acid in his mouth.

Donny had remained uncharacteristically quiet, jostling Valentina up and down in an effort to calm her. The ear splitting crying jerked Bobby from his angry haze, and he suddenly looked as though he had aged thirty years in the span of a minute. Standing up slowly, in order to not startle the younger man, he held out his arms. Without a word, Donny placed Valentina into his outstretched arms and watched as the large man placed the toddler over his shoulder.

Closing his eyes, Bobby began rubbing Valentina's back, allowing her to nuzzle his neck as he swayed back and forth. Her crying subsided to hiccupping whimpers, until her soft breath steadied, interrupted by a small hiccup every so often. Casting the fidgeting Donny a dark look, Goren made his way to his bedroom and gently placed Valentina in his large bed. Setting up the pillows so that she couldn't fall off the mattress in her sleep, he watched her for a second, before attempting to make his way back without awakening her with his thundering footsteps.

"Bobby-" Donny began, only to be silenced when Bobby held up a hand. He looked down at his clasped hands, and scratched at his chin.

"Don't," he flared his nose and shook his head, "Just don't- don't talk." He began pacing, looking up every now and then to study the restless man before him. "You're bipolar."

Looking up sharply, Donny shrugged and opened his mouth to speak. A look from Bobby told him not to say anything. So Bobby continued.

"You're bipolar, and you didn't take your meds…you haven't been taking your medicine for two years…do you know," he took a deep breath, speaking more to himself than Donny. "Do you know that-that untreated bipolorism can lead to, uh, schizophrenic-like symptoms?" Heaving a sigh, Bobby threw a hand into the air and kicked at the wood paneled floor. "What am I going to do…?"

Unsure whether or not he could stand another large attack, so soon after the death of Nicole, Frank, his mother and the arrest of his mentor, he closed his eyes tightly. His cell phone rang once more. Striding over to the table, without giving it a glance, he threw the phone as hard as he could towards a wall. He watched as it broke into pieces, and hung his head in shame. A shrill cry came from his bedroom soon after.

* * *

_Trouble…  
Oh trouble set me free …  
I have seen your face …  
And it's too much too much for me…

* * *

_

**TBC...**

**Please. Review. Thanks so far.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Alex pulled her cell away from her ear with a huff of annoyance. Brushing her bangs off of her forehead, she glanced down at the small screen with a scowl. She tossed the phone on to the empty seat next to her, before grasping the steering wheel tightly.

"If you're not going to pick up," she snapped angrily, turning the SVU around, "Then I'm coming over."

As his partner made her way over to his home furiously, Goren wagged a finger in Donny's direction. "You…" he began before trailing of with a heavy sigh. "Stay put." Running a hand over his haggard face, he turned slowly and began making his way down the hall. Upon entering his bedroom, he was saddened to find the red faced Valentina reaching for him. Appreciating the fact that her sobs subsided to mewling whimpers, he gently scooped her into his arms, and shushed her softly.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, placing a hesitant kiss into the mass of dark curls. "I-I didn't mean to shout…or-or make you cry…I'm sorry…" he continued, cradling the toddler back and forth until her whimpers turned into giggles. Pausing, Bobby lifted Valentina into the air and turned her to face him. "Hey there," he whispered. Nearly engulfing the child's face with his hand, as he attempted to wipe the tear residue, he gave her a crooked smile. "Why the tears, huh?" his expression was truly curious, as though he expected an answer from Valentina. Bending at the waist, till he was nose to nose with her, he added, "No child should be reduced to tears." He smiled at her sadly, welcoming the small hand that patted his beard roughened chin.

"B-bobby? You in here? Where is Valentina? I need my daughter…I need her!" a voice cried out from outside the closed bedroom door. The tone became frantic, "Bobby! Uncle Bobby, where's my daughter! I need my daughter!"

Standing up swiftly, carefully holding Valentina against his stomach with one arm, Bobby opened the door and stepped aside as Donny came crashing in. Expressionless, Bobby watched as his nephew bossed of his bed and spun around. Donny's face lit up when he saw his daughter safely in Bobby's arms.

"There she is! Thanks for watching her Bobby…I-We need to get going, or they'll catch me and take her away…" Donny rambled on, cooing to his daughter in between sentences. Bobby's face fell as he listened. 'They'll'…had Donny fallen victim to the rampaging illness of schizophrenia?

Bobby pushed Valentina up and over his shoulder, turning her face away from her father's. Donny seemed annoyed at this, and attempted to move behind his towering uncle in an effort to see her face again. Bobby side stepped him and managed swap places with the younger man. He looked up with a pained expression. "What…" his voice failed him. Trying again, he managed to ask, "What do you mean they'll catch you, Donny?"

Pulling up short, Donny cast Bobby a confused look. "The cops, Bobby. The-the cops will catch me…I escaped remember? From…from…" his lower lip wobbled like a child, before large tears spilled from his eyes. "From-"

Bobby held up a hand in order to silence him. A silent understanding passed through him, and he was relieved to know that Donny's "they" were not similar to his mothers. Rubbing soothing circles on Valentina's back, Bobby made a decision. Holding out his free arm, he welcomed the younger man's staggering embrace. Donny sobbed against his chest, clutching at his uncle's shirt frantically. Bobby threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tears to stop before they made their way.

Pulling Donny's head into the crook of his neck, Bobby pressed his lips into Donny's matted hair, before resting his cheek on top of his head. Pulling the three down to the ground carefully, he rested his back against the wall and trembled. Attempting to quell his quivering lips, he fought to breathe around the lump in his throat. "I'm so-so sorry…" he sighed heavily.

The three sat together in a whimpering, quivering mass. Until an angry pounding at Bobby's front door caused them to jump. Pulling himself away from Donny, whose breath began to even out until he slumped to the floor asleep, Bobby lumbered into the hallway. Glancing at the snoozing child over his shoulder, Bobby yawned and rubbed his eye.

Opening the front door, Bobby was startled to reveal a seething Alex Eames. Suddenly wide-awake, Bobby glanced towards his bedroom alarmed. Instead of allowing his partner inside, he pushed his way out and shut the door behind himself. "Uh, A-Eames. What can I…" he tilted his head and squinted his eyes, "What can I do for you?"

Alex's furious expression melted when she caught sight of the sleeping toddler draped over his shoulder, and the fatigued face her large partner bore. She stepped back away from him in order to look up into his face, and because he was invading her personal space. Placing her hands on her hips haughtily, she attempted to look angry again. "Why didn't you answer my calls?" she nearly demanded, until she realized how childish that sounded.

Surprised, Bobby schooled his amused expression into one of confusion. "I uh, I…" he looked down at Valentina and offered her an apologetic smile, "I didn't want to wake, uh, Valentina up."

Narrowing her eyes, Alex examined the toddler from where she stood. Other than the mass of dark curls atop her head, Alex was unable to see Valentina. "Whose kid is that?"

Startled once again, Bobby bit his lower lip and shuffled his feet. "Nay-the neighbors," his voice faltered. "From, down the uh, street," he added with a gentle roll of his free shoulder. Bobby lowered his head, and then decided that he looked very suspicious doing so. Lifting his chin, he met Alex's stare until she wavered under his intensity.

"So…" she trailed off, forgetting what she wanted to originally say. Furrowing her brow as she attempted to remember, she missed the studious look Bobby was given her.

"Uh, phone," he offered softly. When she looked up at him bemusedly he explained, "You came over to yell at me, for-for not answering my phone."

"Oh. Right." She looked at her feet in mild annoyance. Raking a hand through her blonde hair, she scuffed at the ground and huffed. "Well then- I guess I'll be going then."

"Okay," he responded simply, urging her to leave with his brown eyes. She hesitated as she began to turn, as though she wished to say something more. Before she could, Bobby quickly put in, "I might not be in tomorrow, Eames…I think I might, uh, take the next few days off." He rubbed the back of his neck absently.

Alex looked as though she would rip his head off once again, until she remembered the past year and she suddenly looked sick with guilt. Nodding with understanding, she placed a hesitant hand on his free arm. "I'm sorry. I'll tell Ross, so expect a call from him." Bobby thanked her quietly, feeling grateful when she finally turned to leave.

A _thump_ from within his apartment made his heart leap, and he risked a glance at Alex's retreating back. She made no indication that she heard the noise, so he sighed and retreated back into his home. "Donny?" he called out, his voice echoing in the eerily quiet room.

"Bobby!" Donny exclaimed, nearly skipping out of the bedroom with his arms in the air. "I hit my head," he laughed, pointing to a spot on his forehead, "But I'm okay, okay? Don't worry, Bobby, I'm fine. Okay?" Donny placed a comforting hand over Bobby's hand, resting on Valentina's back.

Bobby felt unwilling to relinquish the sleeping toddler to Donny, despite the fact that he was her father and took care of her for the past two years. He pulled away from his nephew gently, taking great care to not set Donny off. His brown eyes wearily swept over the disheveled man before him. "Why don't you take a shower?" Donny looked confused as he pulled his hand away from the two.

"What?"

"A-a shower. You look like you could, uh, use one…" he trailed off, purposely dropping his intense stare to the floor. Donny looked thoughtful, before a smile appeared on his face.

"Sure, I probably smell!" he laughed and turned on his heel towards Bobby's bedroom.

Sighing with relief, Bobby pressed a kiss against the soft temple of Valentina. She snuffled before pressing her head further against his neck, a stray hand swatting at her ear, effectively smacking Bobby in the face. Stifling an amused laugh, Bobby made his way over to the couch and sat down carefully.

Nestling in the corner of the well-worn sofa, he tossed his head back and fought off the urge to dose off. Unable to keep his eyes open, he felt himself falling asleep with the warm weight of Valentina comforting him.

Several minutes later a crash jerked a mussed-hair Bobby, carrying a howling Valentina, to his feet unsteadily. "…Th' hell?"

* * *

**TBC...**

**Please review.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Startled, Bobby instinctively looked at the little girl in his arms. After a brief once over, he concluded that she was fine, if not frightened by the loud noise. Hoisting her up a little further, he hesitated before taking a step forward. If Donny was acting out, Bobby didn't want to subject Valentina to him. Sighing, he carefully placed the toddler back on the couch, arranging pillows around her as a soft barrier. Running a hand over his face, Bobby began making his way down the hall towards the source of the crash.

Placing a hand on his bedroom door, he pushed it open carefully, calling out, "Donny?" He peered around the corner and found the room empty. Ignoring the panic in his gut, he stepped further into the room and glanced at his bathroom door. It was closed.

"Donny...are you all right?" he tried the doorknob, and was relived to find it unlocked. Pausing, Bobby tried again for a response. "Donny, I'm coming in, okay?" Once more, he was met with silence. Taking a breath, Bobby pushed open the bathroom door and looked in. He was glad he decided to look before entering further, because shards of glass littered the entire bathroom floor. Pushing the door until it touched the wall, he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping slightly. "Christ, Donny," he found himself moaning, looking up at the ceiling for help.

The younger man was sitting in the tub, rocking back and forth, clutching his bleeding right hand. Rather focused on his muttering, he didn't look up when Bobby entered the suddenly cramped room. Kneeling down at the tubs side, Bobby spoke softly, trying to make sure that Donny knew he was there before making a grab for his wounded hand.

"I'm going to look at your hand...okay?" he slowly reached across the bathtub, purposely moving his arm in front of Donny's eyes. He grabbed the fisted hand and turned it up, using his thumb to pry it open and examine the wound. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his mirror, or the slab the mirror once rested on. Taking a deep breath, Bobby turned back to his nephew.

"What happened?" he demanded, although he didn't dare raise his voice. "Hmm?" Pulling the bleeding hand over Donny's body and over to his own, he gently probed it with his thumb and re-asked his question. "What happened, Donny?"

Sullenly, Donny looked up and glanced at the mirror. "I punched it," he muttered. Bobby resisted the urge to roll his eyes, as he nodded slowly with a wry smile.

"I see that," he responded, his voice deliberate and soft. "Why?"

A scowl scrunched Donny's features as he growled, "It was wrong, it was wrong." He turned his dark eyes to look at Bobby's schooled expression, belying his confusion. "It was messy and dirty, and I'm not those things. No," he pointed a finger in his uncle's face, "No."

Attempting to pinpoint Donny's meaning, Bobby distracted himself by further examining the open wound on Donny's hand. "You-you mean you were dirty...and messy?" he questioned, tilting the hand so that the lone light above their heads could reflect off of any piece of glass embedded in his skin. "Your reflection...it was wrong." He looked up and met Donny's eyes, his brown eyes soft and compassionate.

Donny nodded, a small smile pulling at his lips. "You get it!" he claimed, amusement in his voice. "You understand, it was wrong."

Bobby offered him a sad smile, his eyes flitting between the hand and Donny's wide eyes. "I understand," he whispered. A brief moment of silence passed before Bobby gently tapped the wound and said, "Let's get this cleaned up."

Several minutes later, Bobby managed to extract a small piece of glass from Donny's hand before wrapping it in gauze. He placed a plastic bag he found, while rooting in the kitchen for the bandage wrapping, around the injured hand. Loosely holding Donny's wrist, he pulled the arm in front of his face and pointed at the shower. "Keep the bag on," he told him sternly.

The younger man grinned and nodded, although he didn't look very young with the haggard clothing and scraggly beard he wore. Bobby watched him carefully as he stepped out of the bathroom, having already swept up the broken bits of the mirror didn't mean he was okay with leaving Donny alone again. "Don't break anything else," Bobby murmured as a way to further ease the excitable man.

Leaving the door slightly ajar, he made his way back to where he left Valentina. Bobby knelt beside the couch and pushed the pillows he had set up there aside. He couldn't help but smile down at the sleeping little girl. Her fist was pressed against her mouth, her chest rising up and down in a steady rhythm. Tilting his head to the side, he brushed a curl away from her forehead tenderly with a long finger, tracing a rounded cheek.

Laying an arm beside her sleeping form, he rested his head on top of it, shifting his body on the floor until he was comfortable. He closed his eyes, exhaustion crippling his large body. Bobby sighed heavily, feeling goosebumps prickle his flesh when his cool breath skimmed his warm arm.

God he was so tired. His head was pounding, and he could feel his eye throbbing from where he was punched by an extremely upset perpetrator. Lifting his head, he gingerly touched the bruise, nearly forgetting it was there. He flinched when the pain flared into his temple, aggravating his already pounding headache.

Placing a hand on Valentina's stomach, he rubbed it gently before grasping the couch's arm and pulling himself off the floor. Resetting the pillows, he ambled back into his bedroom and entered the bathroom. "Donny?" he called out, attempting to be heard over the shower. He cleared his throat, and tried again. "Donny? You almost done in there?"

The curtain flew back to reveal a nude Donny, shampoo running down his face and into his beard. "Bobby!" he cried out, a wide smile on his face. Bobby turned his head away, his eyes downcast as his nephew asked, "Something you wanted?"

A hand snaked up and around Bobby's neck, kneading the muscle there in a nervous habit. "Uh, well..." he tilted his head to the side, his lips quirking in half amusement, half embarrassment. "Just wanted to make sure you were, well, all right." He motioned towards his bed from where he stood, "I placed some clean clothes on my bed, for you...they might be a little big but..." he trailed off with a shrug.

Donny grinned wider and proceeded to rinse his hair, "Yeah, okay. Thanks Bobby." Bobby had to lean forward and quickly close the curtain, clearing his throat with a small shake of his head. The ringing of his house phone caused him to look up sharply. Eames already made contact with him, so who else could it be? The thought made Bobby's shoulders sag in bitterness. Who _else_ could it be? He had no one, Nicole and Declan made sure of that.

Running a large paw through his curls, he lumbered out of his room and into the kitchen. Glancing at the table where the phone's receiver was at, he noted with an air of annoyance that the phone was not there. The persistent ringing ripped a small growl from his lips, until his eyes came upon the kitchen counter next to the stove. Grabbing the phone up, he bit off, "Goren."

"Detective Goren," drawled the grating voice of his superior officer. "I see you _are_ home..."

"What can I do for you, Captain?" he tried to keep the irritation from his voice as he leaned against the counter.

He couldn't keep his eyes from rolling at his Captain's boring tone as the man responded, "Tell me, Goren, do you always have your partner call in for you?"

Rather than take the obvious bait, Goren controlled his anger and replied, "Can I safely assume I was granted the next few days off?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and an audible sigh. "You have the week, Goren. I expect you ready to work on Monday. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." He swallowed roughly and muttered, "Thank you."

"Don't make it a habit Goren," Ross warned, before adding in a nearly softer tone, "Relax and enjoy your time off. You could use it."

Biting his lower lip, Bobby nodded. "Thanks again, sir." He pulled the phone away when he received the dial tone as a response. He wanted to hurl the phone, and even raised his arm to do so, but suddenly remembered that he did the same to his cell. Lowering his arm, he took a deep breath and placed the phone on the counter safely.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up, noticing Donny watching him. Giving him a quick once over, he pushed away from the counter and motioned at the clothes that hung onto Donny's thinner frame. "Told you they would be big."

Donny looked down and shrugged, pushing the sleeves of the large sweatshirt to his elbows, only to watch as they slid back down again. He ran a hand through his limp dark hair. "Where's Valentina? She okay?"

Bobby stepped around him and made his way towards the couch. Picking up Valentina, he cradled her in his arm and sat down on the couch. "She's fine."

Donny sat on the floor in front of the couch, Indian style. He was like an overgrown child, Bobby surmised as he watched Donny bounce up and down in place. "You-" he stopped himself. Looking at Valentina, and back at her father, he closed his eyes and hung his head. "You can spend the night here. On the couch."

From the frown he saw beginning to form on Donny's face, he added, "She'll stay with me."

"You don't trust me with her?"

Bobby quickly amended his answer, his face open in order to quell Donny's anger. "My bed is bigger than this couch, she won't fit here with you...you want her comfortable, right?"

Donny relaxed and nodded lazily, "Right, right." Yawning he stood up and plopped himself down on the couch beside Goren's large frame. "Can I sleep now?" the younger man demanded.

Surprised, Bobby got up slowly and nodded. "Uh, yeah. Sure." He watched as Donny settled himself on the couch, pressing his face into the fabric. He began toying with an exposed thread, oblivious to Bobby's staring. Stepping away from the couch, Bobby found himself in his bedroom once again. Looking down at Valentina in his arms, he pressed a gentle kiss on the top of her head before settling her in the unmade bed.

After quickly changing into a t-shirt and sweatpants, he carefully made his way into his bed and cradled Valentina against the left side of his chest. He knew he wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon.

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**TBC...**

**Please Review.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Smoke. That was the first thing Bobby was aware of when he sluggishly blinked the sleep out of his eyes. Th burning smell tickled the hairs in his sensitive nose, until his brain kicked in high gear and Bobby found himself flinging covers to the side. Stumbling to the floor, he glanced back and was relived to see Valentina safe and soundly asleep.

Pushing himself up, Bobby launched himself forward and allowed the momentum of his heavy body to carry him into the kitchen, where the smoke seemed to originate. Coughing, he waved a hand in the air, attempting to find the source. The sight of Donny in his kitchen didn't surprise him, nor did the fact that the toaster was the origin of the smoke. It was the complete disarray of the room that caught Bobby off guard.

Leaning heavily against the wide doorjamb, Bobby covered a gasp with a fist to his mouth. Pots and pans lay scattered amidst broken eggs, overturned milk, and sprinkled herbs. "Donny," he whispered, his voice in awe as he took a tentative step forward. "What...? What did you do?"

The younger man's head snapped up, from where he was rooting in the fridge. "Uncle Bobby! Good morning." He motioned towards the messy floor and grinned, "Spilled something, sorry about that but-" he reached into the fridge and grabbed a handful of eggs, "I'm making omelets and toast..." he trailed off when he glanced at the smoking toaster. "Oops." Donny laughed and shrugged. "Omelets only then."

Fury crept into the back of Bobby's throat, pressing against his eyes in the form of a pulsing headache. Rather than speaking, for fear of unleashing the skillful words he normally saved for interrogations, he took another step forward. Donny continued speaking, roaming towards the stove with his eggs, casually grabbing a pan from the floor as he did so.

"Didja sleep well?" he blabbered on. Pushing a handful of his hair off his forehead, he laughed again. "I hardly ever sleep, but I'm not tired. Not really. What about Valentina?" he tried to peer around Bobby's large frame from where he stood. "She around? She sleep well?"

Goren's eyelids fluttered shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose once more. Sighing heavily, he responded, "She's fine. She slept well."

"Good, good." Donny's head bounced up and down in approval as he cracked an egg over the soiled pan. "She sleeps like a baby." His eyes widened and he chuckled at what he believed to be a funny joke. "Baby! Didja get it, Uncle Bobby?"

Wordlessly, the older man nodded. Running a hand through his mussed up curls, Bobby motioned towards the bedroom and let his hand drop to his side uselessly. "Why don't you, uh, clean yourself up...Donny?" he added the name softly, hoping to catch his nephew's attention. When he succeeded, he made eye contact and tilted his head. "Shower?"

"You wanna take a shower? It's okay, it's fine...breakfast should be ready by the time your do-"

Raising a hand in the air to stop him, Goren couldn't stop the flare of his nose from annoyance. "Donny," he stated firmly. "I'm telling you to get cleaned up. Afterward, you are going to help me clean up this mess?" Making sure he met Donny's eyes once again, he added, "Understood?"  
"Yes."

Goren pointed towards the room, "Go. Now."

Donny dropped the second egg he was going to crack, onto the floor. Carefully avoiding the worst of the mess on the floor, he glided past Bobby and down the hall. Closing his eyes, Bobby flinched when he heard the door slam and a wail arise. "Damn it," he murmured, tilting his head back to face the ceiling, eyes still shut tightly.

* * *

Several hours later, the kitchen was back to it's original state and Donny was playing with a squealing Valentina. Bobby watched warily as his nephew tossed the giggling little girl into the air, catching her with a loud laugh. Crossing his left ankle over his right knee, Bobby leaned back into the couch and continued to watch the two before him.

"Bobby, Bobby watch!" Donny shouted, pushing Valentina's shirt up and exposing her belly. He blew a loud raspberry on the exposed flesh, causing her to shriek and kick her legs out. Bobby offered them a small smile, scratching his head as he bit his lip.

Unhooking his ankle, Goren leaned forward and placed his elbows on his thighs. "Hey," he called out, catching Donny's attention. Suddenly, he was at a loss for words. What did he want to say? What could he possibly say now? "How long are you, uh, planning on staying?"

Donny's face fell slightly. "Dunno...how long can I?"

"Donny, you can't...you can't stay here for long. You escaped from a prison, I mean..." he leaned back heavily and cursed in his mind. "You can't stay here, Donny. I'm a Detective..."

"Why not?" he tilted his head to the side and looked up with wide brown eyes. Pushing his lower lip out, he reminded Bobby of himself as a little child. But Donny was an adult. This thought provided Bobby with enough fuel to continue his argument.

"You're an escapee. I could lose my badge if anyone finds our you're, you're here," he protested. "Donny, you need medication and help. I don't have the time to take care of you...or-or the money." He added the last part quietly, ashamed of the state of his finances. Hanging his head, he missed the look of anger that passed over the other man's face.

"Medications!?" he hissed, his brown eyes flashing. "Like your sick mother? You think I'm like _her_, don't you?" By this time, both men were on their feet, the younger pacing irately. "Sick, old, batty woman...sick!" his face was contorted into one of hysteria.

Bobby no longer had control of his cool facade, and was silently grateful that Donny was holding a defenseless child, otherwise he would have physically lashed out at this point. Goren was used to being called names, used to the cruel comments that colleagues and acquaintances made towards his family and even his own sanity. But his temperament was severely off-kilter so soon after the death of his mother, and brother.

Seething, he balled his fists tightly and took several deep breaths. After several minutes, Bobby believed he had curbed his anger enough that he wouldn't hit Donny. But the hateful words continued to spew from the his lips as he ranted and stormed back and forth.

"She was a hateful, stupid little...little bitch!" he cried, spittle flying from his lips. But he was immediately stunned into silence when a large hand slapped him hard across the cheek. Stumbling slightly, Donny's face took on a deep shade of red, his eyes filling with tears of pain from the sting.

Breathing raggedly, Bobby took a few careless steps back, bringing a fist to his mouth as tears slid though the stubble on his cheeks. "Damn it, Donny..." he cursed hoarsely. The sounds of their gasping breaths mingled in the air with the whimpers of Valentina, who was struggling in her father's loosening grasp. "Damn it..."

He couldn't do it. Bobby Goren couldn't handle this, it was too much, too soon. He began pacing himself, his nephew stunned into motionlessness. One hand found itself thrust into his unruly hair, the other grasping at the tension in his neck. Muttering underneath his breath, Bobby began questioning his own sanity again. "Why...damn it...I can't...this-this isn't...no..." he shook his head roughly and waved a hand in the air. "I, I..."

Pulling himself up short, Bobby rubbed his forehead with his fingers, pinching his nose before letting his arm dangle at his side loosely. His voice monotone, Bobby felt sick with numbness. "I'm going to commit you. Tomorrow." Before Donny could protest, he held up a hand to stop him. "You-you have the rest of today to prove to me you can live...without _medication_," he nearly sneered at the word, but contained himself. "Or else, I'm sending _you_ where I put that 'little _bitch_'."

"Bobby, Bobby, you can't do that...you can't do that to me!" Donny moaned.

"Prove to me," he had to raise his voice over the wailing of the other two occupants of the room, "Prove to me that you can manage and function a whole, half a day, without medications. And I won't have you committed, but...but you still need to find another place to stay." His voice was thick with anger and sarcasm. Completely devoid of his usual manner.

Another thickening silence befell the trio, Valentina having settled down since the slap. She looked up with tired eyes at Bobby, reaching out a hand to touch him with little success. Suddenly, Bobby felt as though he could finally get something done around the house. "She's yawning...guess she's tired, huh? Aren't you tired too? I thought you told me you didn't sleep much," as Bobby spoke softly, he edged forward and attempted to steer Donny down the hall and into his bedroom. "Why don't you two take a nap, together? You know," he offered a Goren smile, "Father, daughter."

This made Donny perk up and he nodded. "Sure, sure. I'll be good, Bobby, I will."

"I know," he whispered, managing to herd them in the bedroom and towards the bed.

When the two settled within his massive sheets, he turned and lumbered down the hall. After several minutes of pacing in the kitchen, he peeked in the bedroom and was relieved to see them fast asleep. Shutting the door, he grabbed his keys and wrote a quick note of where he was going. Taking a quick stock of his kitchen products, he memorized what he needed and set off to leave.

* * *

Upon entering the corner bodega, Goren noticed the appreciative stares from both a female customer and the cashier behind the counter. He glanced down at his sweatpants and NYPD t-shirt, and deduced that his hair was probably messy and curled. Blushing, he offered them a small smile and a "Hello," as he lumbered past.

Grabbing a basket, he began grabbing the general items of food he used often. When he found himself in the back of the store, staring at the large array of alcoholic beverages, he nearly missed the wails of sirens flying by the store and down the street. Jerked out of his pitying trance, he jogged towards the front of the store and joined the few customers that were curious enough to find out what was going on. He found himself begging for the cars to keep going, to not stop on this block, something he never had to wish before Donny arrived.

However, his wishes went unanswered as the vehicles swerved to a stop and officers clad in vests began piling out and taking cover behind their opened doors. "Jesus," he muttered, ducking his head in an effort to see better. Then he saw Eames' car fly down the street, and he knew he was in deep shit.

"Oh God..."

Dropping his basket, and ignoring the protest from the cashier and the looks of fear from the customers, he burst from the bodega and sprinted as fast as he could down the street. By the time he reached his home, Eames was watching him with a mixture of relief and worry. Her vest on, she opened the back of the SUV and handed him his own. "Put this on," she said, her voice showing no emotion.

"What's going on?" he asked instead, not accepting the offered protection. Bobby watched as his Captain stepped out from behind a larger officer, a bullhorn in his hands. "This is the police, please come out with your hands up in the air."

Goren turned towards his partner, confused. "What's going on?"

"Disturbance called in from the neighbors, complaining about screaming, crying, and something that sounded like a fight. Found out it was your address, and we all hauled ass." She tore her beady eyes from his widened ones and looked at his home and back at him. "Something you want to tell me, _partner_?"

"Uh," he found his tongue thickening and words refusing to push out. Blood rushed through his veins as his heart pumped erratically. "Eames..."

Throwing his vest at his chest forcefully, she growled, "Don't you 'Eames' me Bobby."

Before he could say another word, the door opened and out stepped Donny, clutching a red faced Valentina. "I'm not going back!" he screamed, "You can't take me back!"

Bobby slumped and nearly fell to the ground. He felt the surprised eyes of his Captain and Alex on him quickly, demanding answers. "I can, I can explain..._please_, let me explain..." but his partner stormed off to the side of his superior, "Alex..."

Several officers attempted to rush at Donny, until one shouted "Gun! Gun!" and they scattered in several different directions. The word even triggered the cop in Bobby to duck and hide behind the nearest police cruiser. Peeking up, he need only to see a white-faced officer and his nephew waving a police issued gun to know what had happened.

"I'm not, not, not going back! No!" Donny continued to shout, pointing the gun at various spots.

"Cap, give me the horn." Bobby had sidled up to Ross, and held out his hand. Ross glared at him and shook his head vehemently.

"You're kidding, right?" he growled, his voice gruff. "When this is over, consider your job in the same boat, Goren."

Paling, Bobby took action, and grabbed the horn from his Captain's hands. Pulling away and drawing himself to his full height, causing Ross to back off, he called out, "Donny! Donny listen to me, it's Bobby!"

"I'm not going Bobby! You're not committing me, and you're not sending me back to Tates!"

"No," he shook his head, "No, we're not. I-I promise Donny, we're not going to do that. I just want to make sure that, uh, that Valentina is okay!" He glanced at Alex, ignoring her piercing glare. "Is she okay?"

Donny paused and looked down, "My daughter's fine, Goren."

This caused a few gasps to ripple in the crowd of officers, his partner emitting a particular ear-catching one. Now desperately avoiding them, he took a few steps forward and displayed his unarmed body to the younger man. "I'm unarmed, Donny, so please...please put the gun down." When he didn't Goren added, "I'm your Uncle...I'm not going to hurt you."

This caused Donny to falter, before letting his arm fall, but not relinquishing the weapon. "Good, good...now what's the problem?"

"You're going to send me away...you're going to drug me up and kill me like they did in Tates!" his voice was rising again, the gun shaking in his grip. The toddler had been quiet until then, releasing an ear-splitting screech. This startled Donny, but allowed Goren to rush the stairs and attempt to overtake him. They ignored the shouts of alarm and pounding steps behind them, in their own world of dominance until the gun went off and caused Goren to jerk back with a grunt.

"Bobby!" this was Alex's voice, her anger gone and worry in place of it.

Ignoring the pain in his right side, Goren tried again, ignoring his safety and trying to free Valentina from Donny's grasp. Finally freeing the child, he handed her to the nearest body, before turning to face the barrel of a gun.

Slamming his eyes shut and parting his lips, his hands shot out automatically and lamely tried to cover his body. However, the next gun shot that rang out was directly in front of him. Coercing a strong, "Donny, no!" from his lips before he even opened his eyes.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Please review.**

**I hope you can imagine a manic-bipolar doing this; it seems rushed but it isn't as though Donny is abiding by the proper time for him to freak. **

**Hope you enjoyed it!!  
**


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